11-14-1994 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 4. 1994 DRAFT (#8 - Hockey Arena Progress Report - Continued) The Orono Hockey Association hired Architects, Hamd & ??. and Contractor. Krause Anderson. The feasibifity work culminated m the report received by the Park Commission. A site is available through the school district. Site review, planning, and pricing have been done. The association has met with Staff on these issues. Pat Wolf has been |yadi«g the fund raising which is primarily through private donations to build the facility with the future operating costs to be borne by user fees. It is reported that at this point, no insurrooumable problems have arisen. The key will be raising the constniction costs; if these cannot be raised, the Association will not proceed. Commissioner Wilson asked if Orono presently has a girls varsity team and also inquired of the number of children that do skate. Ingebritson said it wiU be about four years until Orono has a girls varsity team. At present, the pec-wee team consists of 7th and 8th graders. There are 280 children enrolled in the youth program this year from four years old through junior high. Howells asked what was the difference between girls and boys hock^ and ringettes. Ingebritson said there is no checking involved in girls hockey but otherwise, it is the same In ringettes. a cheerio-type puck is used which does not come off the ice. He feels the interest in ringettes is subsiding with the increased interest in girls hockey. Use askrd about open ice time. Ingebritson said community education has an interest and would put funding asde with the expectation of using 175 hours of ice time at $100 per hour during the six month period of operation. The school district also would purchase its ice time. McMiMan who would own the ice rink if it was built. Ingebritson said the Association would be a non-profit, 501(cX3). organization, which would qualify for real estate and income tax exemption. The organization would then either operate the areiw themselves or hire someone to run the arena. McMillan also inquired about feed^k from the school district. Ingebritson said the schools arc veiy cooperative and see a need for an arena e^tecially with the start of ^rls hockey. Althou^ there have been to o *. the school district is happy to have the hockey association investigate the builduig of an arena. It is unknown it this time whether the school district would sell or lease the land to the association. 1 ___J